Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Avinashi Lingeswarar Temple, Avinashi – Festivals

Avinashi Lingeswarar Temple, Avinashi – Festivals

The
temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
The temple rituals are performed six times a day. There are weekly rituals
like Somavaram (Monday) and sukravaram (Friday), fortnightly
rituals like Pradosham, and monthly festivals like Amavasai (new moon day), Kiruthigai, Pournami (full
moon day) and sathurthi. Sundarar's miracle is celebrated every year
as Mudalai Vaai Pillai Utsavam during Panguni Uththiram during
the Tamil month of Panguni. The Car festival attracts large
crowd and the festival car here is said to be on par with Tiruvarur. Other festivals include Vinayaka Chathurthi, Aadi
Pooram, Navarathri, Aippasi Pournami, Skanda Sashti, Karthikai Deepam, Arudra
Dharisanam, Thai Poosam, Maasi Magam, Panguni Uththiram and Vaikasi Visakam.

Chithirai
Brahmotsavam is celebrated grandly in April-May with flag hoisting on
Mrigaseerisham star day and car festival on Pooram star day and the fifth day
receiving all importance. Lord Shiva grants his darshan to 63 Nayanmars from his
Vrishaba – bull – vahanam.

Car Festival:

This is
the most important festival in the temple’s itinerary. The car festival
celebrated during the ‘Brahmotsavam’ of Chithirai Maasam. The relevant English
months are April-May. The temple car here is the second biggest in the whole of
south India. In the past the temple car was pulled by devotees. The temple cars
were damaged by fire. They were later newly built. Nowadays bulldozers are
employed to move the car.

Arubathi Moovar Ula:

Apart
from the car festival, another important occasion, which is celebrated with a
lot of pomp, is the ‘Arubathimoovar ula’. It is about the 63 ardent devotees of
Lord Shiva as depicted in Periyapuranam.